Non-Citizens and the Right to Vote

The Washington DC council members voiced their opinion the other day in support of a new law that would allow non-citizens to vote in their local elections.

Does this sound like a good idea to you?

The Daily Caller reported about this vote and bill. Councilman David Grosso was quoted in the article saying “These are residents who are well on their paths to citizenship unfortunately not all of our residents have a say in the politicians who are elected to represent them.”

This voice vote was on a bill that “would allow permanent residents in the city who are not American citizens to vote in elections for mayor, city council, the attorney general and State Board of Education members, among other things.”

Under current DC law, a person needs to be a citizen of the United States in order to vote.

I understand they may be productive members of our society but to start down this path could result in many difficulties and a further erosion of our laws.

These difficulties could require two separate voter registration rolls for citizens and non-citizens, thus increasing cost.

In the article Clifford Tatum, director of the Board of Elections, informed DC council members that if the city decides to hold both national and local elections in the same year, the ballots for immigrants would need to look significantly different from the regular ballots so the two would not be confused. He went on to say it will “require significant financial resources” to implement the law, though he couldn’t say how much it would cost.

DC already city passed a law in 2014 that allows illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, becoming one of just 10 states to do so.

The right to vote and determine our elections has been from the beginning a right of American citizens. If an immigrant wants to vote they should either become a citizen or wait until they become one.

If we start to allow non US citizens the right to vote in local elections it will not be far down the road that we allow them to vote in federal elections. You know that movement would start the day after the right to vote in local elections is approved.

Is this a good or bad idea in your mind?

Why do we need to further diminish the US citizens vote?

Or do you believe that since they are part of our local community they should have a say in who represents them?

Let’s discuss this on my show The Live with Renk show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section.